


Cheating the Stars

by pinkpixiedust



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Romance, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Awkward Flirting, Bullying, Cedric Diggory Lives, Detention, Diary/Journal, Drama, Drama & Romance, Duelling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fights, Flirting, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Inspired by Life Is Strange, Mentor Severus Snape, Original Character(s), POV Severus Snape, Panic Attacks, Potions, Potions Class (Harry Potter), Severus Snape Has a Heart, Slow Romance, Summer, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-04 23:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15851490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkpixiedust/pseuds/pinkpixiedust
Summary: Elena Blackwell, a muggle college student, enrolls at Hogwarts during her summer break to study magic just for fun. She finds out she possesses the power to reverse time when she saves her potions professor from a horrid attack.Snape's responsibility as the head of her house forces him to take on a new duty: becoming her mentor. Their shared stubborn and defensive personality traits form an interestingly complex connection between the two. Things are never the same again.During her stay, strange events unfold at the wizarding school. Ice starts spreading inside the castle, holding hostage anyone who touches it. Students go missing. Boggarts appear out of nowhere. All because someone is unlawfully investigating the castle's secrets that have been hidden for many centuries. That someone so happens to be Elena's new enemy. If the secrets fall into the wrong hands - Voldemort and his army - the wizarding world is doomed forever.Harry Potter has gone missing and people aren't sure if they can call him 'the boy who lived' anymore. Will she find him and save Hogwarts? Or will the dark side lure her in?





	1. the flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setting:  
> • This plot takes place before the second wizarding war  
> • Any person at any age is welcome to join Hogwarts, muggle or not, and enroll as a student.  
> • New students above the age of 11 are to enroll as first years and have to take more classes in order to catch up with other students their age.  
> • Students are also allowed to do a two-months-long semester during summer break to catch up.  
> • Hogwarts has electricity but no wifi! Muggles can use their phones, laptops...etc
> 
> The time traveling bit is inspired by 'life is strange' (video game) and the castle secrets bit is inspired by Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (video game).
> 
> I'm planning for this to be a novel-length fanfiction. It will take lots of time to finish so please bear with me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for clicking my story! There isn't much happening in this chapter, the point of it is to give the reader an idea on the main character's personality and background.
> 
> Feel free to leave constructive criticism! I'd like to know what I can improve :) xx

So, this year for summer school, I decided to go to Hogwarts. I know, right? What's an internet obsessed girl like me supposed to do in a school with no wifi? Well… I’ve always admired magic & wizardry, but only from afar; and, while looking for a school to spend my summer in, I found Hogwarts! So I thought to myself, why not? The idea of stepping foot in that majestic castle and being part of the magical side of the world makes my stomach twirl in excitement.

 

It is the 21st century, but Hogwarts seems to be on an old-school vibe. I received my acceptance letter by hand from an owl. Its feathers looked like they were dipped into the darkest, most mystical black ink, yet the owl's feathers had some fantastic shine that reflected tonight’s bright moonlight. Truly majestic. I tried petting it but it backed away and flew off.

I haven't packed my bags yet but honestly? I could definitely see my round trip becoming a one-way ride.

 

**Monday, June 1st**

\- 1:00 AM - 

I can't believe I finally boarded my plane to the UK! I'm feeling all kinds of emotions right now: excited, nervous, hesitant, happy and it's the best I've felt my whole life.

It's about time I get away from my sleepless hometown. No matter what time I leave the house, be it midnight or three in the morning, the streets are always busy, noisy, with car lights glowing along the horizon like fairy lights horizontally lined against a wall. 

It's about time. 

I never got the chance to go to college in a different city because my parents worry sick about me. They’ve always been that way, overprotective to the point where I would’ve never thought they’d let me go anywhere all on my own anytime soon. Yet, here I am, finally getting to be independent for once! Being the only child sucks sometimes, but I’m so thankful things are changing for the best.

I didn't have much luck at making friends in college, even though I'm outgoing and pretty talkative. I wasn't always like that. I was an anxious and depressed wreck all throughout middle school and high school, but college changed me and I'm glad it did. I have no bullies in college and that fact alone allowed me learn how to unapologetically speak my mind and be myself.

My current, nonexistent social life at college is mostly due to the fact that my classmates and I are caught up with the work and studying we have to do that most of us don’t have time to even spend with our own families, let alone one another. It makes us sound like selfish assholes, I know, but college really is hard work. I hope things will be different at Hogwarts. I know they'll be different, I mean, I’m leaving a city to stay in the outskirts of Scotland for two months. Let's just hope they'll be different for good. I'll turn this phone off and try to get some sleep.

 

\- 9:20 AM -

I just landed in London, got out of the plane, now I'm in a little bus heading to the inside of the airport and OH MY GOODNESS it is so cold here! So cold! Great. AND IT'S SUMMERTIME. 

Apparently, I can’t just ride a taxi or an Uber to Hogwarts. I can only get there on a train, Hogwarts Express to be exact. I went to King's Cross Station and looked for platform 9 3/4. At first, I thought it was a joke, but I walked to platform 9 and stood between it and platform 10 anyway.

As I glanced around, I saw parents holding their kids with one hand and a letter of some sort in the other. I looked at my acceptance letter and back at theirs. Practically twins! They WERE sending their kids to Hogwarts! That wasn't even the best part: they walked towards and vanished into the grey brick archway wall separating platforms 9 and 10. Nine and three quarters! That's it!

I did the same and ended up in another… place. Before boarding the train, I was greeted by a man in a red vest. I walked in and didn't have a hard time looking for a seat as the whole compartment was empty. I was so tired and, because I’m a lazy person, I thoughtlessly walked to the row nearest to the door and took a seat next to the window. 

 

   


	2. jetlagged

\- 5:00 PM -

I was so tired I had accidentally fallen asleep with my head leaning against the window. The train jerked forward in a stop, snapping me out of my nap. The sun's brightness pierced my eyes making my head shy away but a man's loud voice drew my attention back to the outside world. A large man stood outside, calling students off the train. I got up and, before walking out, looked over my shoulder to check if I forgot anything behind.

“Get off! Get off now! kam on and go that weh! All students that weh please!” He motioned out with one arm and pointed to his right with another. He really was a giant. I mean, I'm short so, being pretty tiny to begin with, everyone I stood next to seemed like a giant to me but boy was I wrong. This man's palm was probably as big as my head.

He seemed genuinely happy to be welcoming everyone and I couldn't help but smile at him. He noticed me and grinned, interrupting his verbal escorting business to wave and say “'ellow” to me! Delighted, I walked up to him, waving back and smiling big as I did.

“Hello, sir! it's so nice to be greeted getting off the train, my name is Elena!” I said, looking up at him as I reached out my right hand to greet him.

"Nice meeting yeh, Elena!” He shook my hand, “see yeh in the castle! Oh and I forgot, me name's Hagrid!"

"Nice meeting ya Hagrid! See you around!" I said as I nodded politely and walked past him.

I forgot to ask what type of hair care routine he followed. He has SO. MUCH. HAIR! For a guy his age, I think he should’ve had a receding hairline. Nope.

 

***

 

I followed the path other students were taking. They all wore uniforms and seemed like they’ve been here before. We stopped just on the edge of a lake with at least two dozen wooden boats docked onto its shore.

"You seem a bit lost here.”

I looked to my right, the direction this girl's voice was coming from.

"My name is Violet, seventh year next year," she said.

“Hello Violet, I'm Elena! I love your name.” She thanked me and returned the compliment.

"Oh, Leo! Over here!" She yelled as she waved her right arm in the air standing on her toes. Out of the huge crowd, a dirty-blond-haired guy appears and greets her with a tight hug.

"This is my friend Leo," she pointed to her right. “Leo, this is Elena,” her left hand sat on my right shoulder. I shook Leo's hand and said hello.

"You two know each other?" he sounded puzzled.

"We do now," I replied

“Oh! you are new here!" He spoke with an accent thick just enough so it's heard but too subtle for me to pinpoint where it's from, "newbies take boats. We ride horseless carriages to the castle."

"I am! and did you just say horseless carriages?"

"Yup! magic, baby!” they both chuckled. “Look,” he motioned for me to follow.

"See?" Violet said.

"Whoa..." My eyebrows rose in amused disbelief. The ropes were hanging in mid-air as if they were latching onto invisible horses. Violet grabbed my arm and guided me onto one of the carriages and Leo followed. I shrugged, climbed up into the carriage, and sat across from the two of them.

 "We're both slytherins if you couldn't tell," said Leo while pointing to his and Violet's uniforms.

“I noticed,” I said with a smug smile.

"What house do you think you'll be sorted in?" he asked

"House? I'm not sure" I smiled awkwardly.

"Hmm..." he pursed his lips, squinted his eyes, raised his right eyebrow and glanced over to Violet.

"Well, I would say Ravenclaw," she said and Leo's gaze shifted to me, nodding.

I opened my mouth but before I could say anything, she continued, "oh and I'm sure by now you know every house has a head professor and ours happens to be the biggest asshole in the whole school,” she said chuckling and looking at Leo as if waiting for an affirmative nod.

"She's right," he agreed, returning her eye contact and smirking.

"Well let's hope I don't end up in Slytherin then!" I said jokingly.

 

***

 

**Day 1**

It wasn't long before we landed on the castle grounds. The place was so majestic I don't think any words will ever do it justice.

"I heard this place has ghosts and stuff," I said

"Yeah, but they're not like muggle movie ghosts, they're actually really friendly,” Violet reassured

"and you CAN see them,” Leo added

"and they greet you," she said

"You guys are saying that like it's a good thing! I honestly don't think I'm going to last here for 2 months," I exclaimed.

"Don't let the eleven-year-old first years hear you," Violet laughed, playfully mocking me. I hid a smile and squinted my eyes at her, that'll teach her.

"Trust me, you're gonna love it." Leo cheered. "New students go that way up these few steps," he pointed to my left, " where you will be greeted by Professor McGonagall. We're heading to the Great Hall, which will be right behind McGonagall. See you later!”

His accent becomes more prominent the more I hear him talk. "See you guys!" I smiled and awkwardly waved at the two.

I walked up the stairs along with the children and felt a little silly, realizing that I was the oldest new kid in town. The lady Leo told me about welcomed us into the great hall to get sorted into houses.

***

  

 

The sorting ceremony began. McGonagall called my name, asked me to sit on this tall stool, and put this big talking hat on me.

"Hmm... I haven't seen one like this in a long time. Nervous all the time but has guts. Short tempered but can control her anger. Ambitious but lazy. You are a walking contradiction, aren't you?" That hat said to me. Yes, _a hat_. I was starting to think the train took a detour and dropped me off in a mental asylum.

"Your house is..." my heart almost dropped; I don't even know why I was so nervous... a HAT made me nervous.

“...Slytherin." Everyone clapped and Professor McGonagall guided me to the Slytherin table. I walked up to my new housemates, smiling as I sat next to Leo across the table from Violet.

"Y'all were wrong," I said smugly.

"Whatever. At least we're in the same house, you know?" Violet said, stuffing her face with food.

"Oh, and that goth looking guy over there is your head as of now," she said pointing over to the teacher's table. My eyes followed her index finger, only to meet two dark, cunning eyes starting right back at the two of us. I froze.

"Professor Snape. Severus Snape,” Leo whispered to me drawing my attention to him and Violet.

His skin was pale. Raven black pin-straight hair cascaded down framing his face, the ends barely touching his shoulders. He wore all black everything. But the eyes man. _It's like he was staring into my soul, which I can't really decide whether I hate or not, but I knew for a fact his stare made something turn in my stomach._ I smiled at him hesitantly and looked back at Violet.

"You guys are sixth years, right?"

“...yeah," they replied simultaneously.

"so that must mean you know quite a few spells, yeah? Is there a spell that tells you whether the food in front of you is vegetarian or not? Everything is cooked in chicken broth these days!"

They exchanged looks and almost burst out laughing.

"Poor you, they should have a spell for that!” she said. 

The feast was over and I followed Violet and Leo to the Slytherin common room; Violet took me to the girl's dormitories from there. I knew I had to unpack but I was too tired. The time difference was only a few hours but I got here in the morning and that meant I had to stay up for at least 10 more hours after landing before it was bedtime. I laid down on the nearest empty bed I could find and fell asleep right then and there.

I woke up to find absolutely no one in the dorm. I turned to my side to get up but a note interrupted me halfway.

 

 

> _hey sleepyhead, vi here. dinner is ready in the great hall. I tried to wake up but with no success. come to the great hall ASAP! I'll save you some mashed potatoes if you don't make it tho._

_Oh no no no!_ Realizing it was too soon to make a bad impression, I got up, washed my face, fluffed my hair, straightened my shirt and rushed upstairs, hoping to not bump into anyone who's going to get me in trouble.

As I approached the great hall, I almost walked into a dark figure that towered over me. I looked up only to meet the same cunning eyes that almost made my heart sink earlier today. Professor Snape. He raised his right eyebrow as he looked down at me; I smiled nervously and tried to dodge him by walking right past him.

"Not so fast, Miss Blackwell," he said bitterly. I frowned and shut my eyes before turning to face him.

"Right, I almost forgot to say hello, sorry about that professor!" I said insincerely as I reached out my hand to greet him, only to see him cross his arms in return. My extended hand instantly grabbed the nape of my neck in embarrassment. I looked around to make sure no one witnessed this humiliating encounter.

"That is not of my concern.” My lips puckered in annoyance. Now I understood why he had a bad reputation.

“Why are you only _now_ coming to have dinner when it's well past curfew and why are you _not_  wearing your uniform?" his voice was stealthily low and his face looked mostly expressionless apart from a slight frown. He could not have been that much older than me, maybe 8 to 10 years.

"Yeah, about that, I actually just got here today and I was not informed as to where to buy the uniform,"

He looked visibly angry now.

"Did you not receive an acceptance letter?"

"I did"

"Did you not read it?"

"I did..."

"Did it not say to find attached a list containing all books and supplies needed for your stay here?” He spoke in a faster pace out of irritation.

My heart sank.

"I'm sure it did but it seems I had missed it... is there anything I can do now?"

"You haven't bought your wand or uniform yet you somehow managed to buy yourself a week's worth of detention,” he paused, his mouth still slightly open. His silence rose suspense in the air and made my stomach lurch.

"In my office,” he paused for a bit again as if wanting my stomach to turn some more, "starting tomorrow after school hours."

I wanted to try to change his mind but he interrupted me before I could speak, "Report this to your house's prefect, Felix Rosier, no later than... tonight,” he didn't need to raise his voice to express anger. He swooshed his cloak to one side as he walked past me.

I stood there staring at the great hall entrance, letting it all sink in: I gave myself detention! My whole life I've only had detention ONCE, in middle school!

Violet was still at our table talking with a group of girls.

"Hey, where's Leo?" I sat next to her.

"Hey hey, dueling practice!"

Almost all the food was gone but she did as she said she will and saved me a plate.

"Here," she slid the overflowing plate to me.

"Thank you! So, Which one is Felix Rosier?" I asked, looking at the other slytherins.

"The prefect? That guy over there," she pointed to a thin, dark haired, dark skinned skinny guy sitting with the boys at the far right end of the table.

"Why are you asking anyway?"

I rolled my eyes, "Snape. He gave me detention for not wearing my uniform and not buying my supplies."

"Oh my god girl I didn't even notice!" she said scanning me down.

“But, I mean, really?! Detention on the first day of school? He could've just given me a warning!” I groaned in frustration, burying my face in my palms.

"Wait, that's actually really funny. The first day of school is tomorrow," she chuckled,“you’ll get used to it,” she said with an unenthusiastic tone.

 

***

 

I talked to my prefect, Felix, and we agreed to meet tomorrow first thing in the morning to get the supplies I need. I hate troubling people with my own mistakes, but whatever. Plus, he seemed kind enough to not make me feel like a burden.

Strangely enough, I'm looking forward to detention tomorrow. Malicious compliance is my favorite kind of compliance and I’ll show that dude how much better at acting childish I can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new chapter tomorrow! xx  
> constructive criticism is always welcome :)


	3. The Prophecy

Dumbledore sat in his office, his phoenix, Fawkes, asleep on its stand right beside the headmaster’s desk. He had asked Snape earlier today to stop by after dinner. 

"Good evening, headmaster,” Snape greeted as he walked in. 

"Severus, good evening,” he greeted back with an enthusiastic smile, "please, have a seat." Snape relaxed on a guest chair, his palms resting on his thighs.

"I've summoned you here today to talk to you about one of your students... Miss Blackwell."

"Yes, about her. She seems inept and arrogant. She’s been breaking school rules already  _and_ it hasn’t been 24 hours since the term began,” Snape said. Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle, his cheeks turning red and his eyes sparkling radiantly. 

"She might be and I don't underestimate your judgement, but that is not why I'm bringing her up now." Dumbledore left his seat and walked over to the shelves behind him. He scanned the shelves, grabbed a kyanite blue crystal ball, and carried it back to his desk. 

"This is a prophecy I've been wanting to tell you about for a while, Severus,” he stated making his way back to his chair. 

"Another prophecy concerning the boy who lived?" Snape asked curiously

“No," he handed the crystal ball to Snape, "this one is about a girl." Snape looked at it and then back at the headmaster before claiming it. 

  

 

 

> _The one with the power to find the Cursed Vaults... muggle born as the eighth month starts. She will have powers the dark side knows not... it's fruitless how hard the dark side might plot. It's in vain how unforgivable the spells they cast, for she can turn and mend the past. The one with the knowledge to unlock the Cursed Vaults… that knowledge she acquires by surviving heinous assaults._

 

“The one who can unlock the cursed vaults. She's here, Severus. Miss Blackwell. Elena Blackwell." 

Snape frowned at the absurd statement, “pardon me, headmaster, but how can you be so sure? Many other… more competent… students could potentially fit the description.” 

“Trust that I am making no mistakes," he assured, "as for how I know, well she has... powers... God-given abilities she doesn't know of yet,” Dumbledore explained, “abilities she has not discovered in the muggle world. The moment she uses them, which will come naturally and suddenly without her expecting it, she will be confused and, seeing as you are the head of her house, she will probably come to you before anyone else. However, make no mention of the prophecy just yet. When the time comes, tell her to meet me. I have to have a word with her. She will be targeted by other students, some from her own house. Keep an eye on her, Severus," he paused but his mouth was slightly open as if he had more to say. 

"Will do," he said.

"Who knows, you might even grow fond of her," Dumbledore proposed making  Snape fidget slightly in his seat before getting up abruptly. 

"I assume you want nothing else of me, headmaster," he muttered with a slight frown.

"I do not, Severus. Have a pleasant night's sleep." Dumbledore smiled playfully as he held back suppressed laughter. 

“Goodnight,” he replied with a curt nod, before leaving the headmaster's office. 

 

***

 

Snape was repulsed by what Dumbledore suggested: the thought of him and someone - who isn't Lily - being close, even just as acquaintances. He walked into his living quarters, lay in bed, shut his eyes, and fell asleep.

Snape had a secret: he saw Lily in his dreams every night. She was the only reason he doesn't have a bad habit of staying up too often. As he fell asleep, a red-haired, green-eyed woman faded into view, standing right before him.

"Lily," he embraced her in a hug.

"Sev, how was your day?"

"Normal, I suppose."

"Good to hear. I overheard your conversation with Dumbledore. It's true"

"What is?"

"The prophecy. Elena is the only person who can reveal the secrets the cursed vaults hide."

"Hard for me to believe. She's an insolent brat"

"Hey, easy!" she chuckled, "I'm not lying."

"If you say so," he replied nonchalantly.

"You know how people from the spirit realm can see and feel people's energy from the physical realm?"

"Yes?"

"Her energy compliments yours; I think you two will be great friends." 

"Nonsense!" He knew he intrigued the new girl. He trusted everything Lily told him but he didn't want to start believing what he just heard. 

"You're the only friend I want, Lily”

"Sev, having other friends doesn't mean I won't be your friend anymore. Also, I'm dead. You're better off having friends that are… you know, alive"

"I only need you, Lily. My heart has been and will always be yours, forever. Always."

"Severus..." she reached her arms to hug him, "you have to move on. I hate seeing you like this." 

He hugged her back, "I'm happy like this." She was his first and last love. He shared his happiest moment in life with her. There's no one like her - or even only remotely close.

"No you're not!" she almost yelled, letting go of him, "you're not happy, Severus," her voice softened in empathy, "I can see your energy from up here. If you really love me then stop making me the reason why you keep lying to yourself!” 

"Lily, you and Dumbledore are talking nonsense, she's my student!"

"Easy there. All we're saying is the two of you are like-minded. What's wrong with having somethings in common with a student?” She was genuinely happy for him. Her childhood friend has not crossed paths with someone he'll get along with like the new girl - not even Lily herself. It is up to him whether he'll let her in or not.

He refused to accept the idea and as an attempt to make it never happen, he was thinking to make it his mission to get her to hate him - more than the other students already do. 

"You can't make her hate you, Severus. She understands you."

"No one understands me like you do." 

"I won't argue, I'll let you see why you're wrong for yourself," they both paused in silence.

"You already messed things up with me, so… whatever you do, don't mess it up with her,” Lily pleaded before she faded into darkness and Snape drifted deeper into sleep.


	4. new school, new enemies

I woke up with soaked, burning eyes. I rarely cry in my sleep - maybe a few times a year - and when it happens, the dream lingers in the back of my mind for the rest of the day but this time, strangely enough, I couldn’t remember what I saw at all. The anxiety weighed my chest down and the sobs burning the back of my throat found their way out. Luckily enough, all the girls I shared my dorm room with, Violet being one of them, were still asleep and I wasn't making enough noise to wake them up. It was 4:30 in the morning. I curled in a fetal position and lay on my right side hoping to get some sleep even though the distress made me doubt I would.

 

 

***

 

I met with Felix this morning and he took me to Diagon Alley. The market wasn’t like any other I had ever seen in the muggle world. The aged, brick-walled shops were crammed side to side standing still, facing each other with a narrow concrete floor in the middle. I bought all the supplies enclosed in my acceptance evelope and we took the train back to Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Felix! This was all my fault. If it wasn't for me you would have been enjoying breakfast right now.”

"Not a problem, El,” he smirked, “and besides, there's still some food left I'm sure. Want to grab a bite?"

His sincerity curved my lips in a smile, ”sure! just let me change into my uniform."

"You didn't try it on while we were there, do you think it will fit?"

"Anything fits me, really, whatever size. I know how to make it work." I replied, "you go have some breakfast and I'll catch up.”

"Alright" and he went off to the great hall.

I hurdled to the quiet dungeons, rushed in my dorm, shut the door, and changed quicker than I knew was humanly possible.My stomach was growling the whole time in the train on the way back. It made me squirm in my seat a lot; poor Felix probably thinks I’m on something. I bolted out with my uniform on to get some breakfast but before I knew it, I almost bumped into Snape himself. My eyebrows shot up and eyes widened as I hastily glanced up at him.

"Why are. you. not. in the great hall?" he asked coldly

_Sorry, didn't mean to make you miss me_ , I almost spat.

"I just got my things and changed into my uniform. I'm heading there now, professor.” _What now? I already have detention for the whole week, he can't just keep giving me crap every five minutes._ He swished his cloak to one side before walking past me and it felt like deja vu.

The great hall was quieter than usual with only a few seats occupied. My eyes were preoccupied by its beauty and incredible detail before they were interrupted by Felix’s arm waving at me.

"Hey!" I almost shouted.

"Violet saved you some mashed potatoes.”

"This girl is going to make me fat!" I chuckled, "where is she?"

"She just left. In the dungeons, probably,” he shrugged.

"Weird, I didn't see her on my way here."

"So it was a perfect fit, huh?" He said. I looked at him with a confused expression and a mouthful of food. My mind, preoccupied with hunger, did not process what it just heard.

”The uniform,” he explained. My facial expressions were comical enough for his eyes to light up and his lips to curl slightly.

"Oh! Right, um.. yeah.. it fit me perfectly,” I smiled politely. _God I can be such an airhead sometimes._

 

***

 

The bell chimed. The sound made my stomach twirl and adrenaline rush through my veins. I’ve never been this excited to go to class. Awkwardly standing by the charms classroom door, my eyes scanned the packed benches for a seat before finally spotting one. The professor walked in and climbed on his chair, then onto his desk, before finally standing on a stack of books.

“Good morning, my dear students. Welcome to your first charms class. I will be your professor for the rest of the semester. Grab your quills and make sure your wands are ready. Today you will be learning two spells: the levitation charm and the wand-lighting charm." 

Professor Flitwick was patient with the kids and was really nice, too, which was refreshing. The class went by a lot faster than I wanted it to even though it was 2 hours long.

 

I crept into the potions classroom, apparently being the first to get there. I figured no one came to class early because they simply were not looking forward to it. The classroom had a suffocating scent that made my nostrils feel like they were inhaling dumbbells not air. I will admit though that - even though the odors were heavy - it still smelled nice. Like the woods at twilight. Like what I imagine a fairy forest would smell like... delightful. A few minutes went by before other students showed up; one took a seat beside me.

"Hey, I'm Elena!"

"Hey! Hannah here. I'm a third year but I failed this class twice,” she sighed.

"Is he really that bad?"

Her eyebrows shot up and eyes widened before giving me an 'are you kidding' side eye.

“…yes.”

My stomach turned when I remembered I had detention with him right after class. _How bad can a teacher be, really?_  

"What are his detentions like?"

“One word: awful. Please don't tell me you managed to get detention - with him?” her face grimaced.

"I did…” I pursed my lips in grief.

She patted my shoulder, "I'll be praying for you. You really are going to need that.”

"...that didn't help,” I smiled and she chuckled.

The door slammed against the wall. Before I could turn around to see what made it hit the wall with that much force, I saw a dark figure briskly walk into the classroom: the potions master.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class,” he claimed as his brisk walk came to a sudden stop right behind his desk, his eyes scanning the students. _What a dramatic entrance,_ I thought. His scanning came to an abrupt end as his eyes fixated on me.

"As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art of potion making,” he said as he slowly walked from behind the desk to the middle of the classroom before moving on to glance at other students. "But for those select few, who possess the predisposition," now talking slower with a deeper tone, "I can teach you how to bewitch the mind," he almost whispered as he crossed his arms so gracefully, "and ensnare the senses," his right hand now in the air as if he were reciting poetry, "I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper... in death."

Even though he was talking about something he clearly enjoyed, he was showing absolutely no emotion. There was no gleam in his eyes. He didn't even smile! His voice was not monotonous, it's his face that was. But there's something about his voice. It's lusciously deep. It calmed something in me I did not know needed calming. Even though he acts childishly rude and petty, I have to admit he's so captivatingly mysterious.

Before I knew it, class was over. The most significant piece of information I retained is this: potion making is just like baking - it is not for me. I tried making cookies once and they transformed into pancakes while in the oven. We brewed a potion that cures pimples today and my cauldron bubbled so much it overflowed. I lost my house five points. Oh well.

“And I’m outta here,” Hannah said teasingly.

"I feel… jealous, is that normal?" I played along, not really lying.

"I would,” she replied as she got up and walked out.

"See you next class!"

She looked over her shoulder and laughed "I sure hope you do!”

I laughed and shook my head before realizing I was a tidbit too loud. My wide eyes glanced at Snape. _Not loud enough for him to be bothered. Good._

 

***

 

"So, professor, what do I have to do tod-"

"You will clean out all cauldrons," he cut me off, "by hand.”

I almost let out a _tsk_ in irritation. The only thing more annoying than the way he speaks to his students is his attitude towards teaching. He acts like his job here is to flex his knowledge on students, not pass it on - to prove just how good he is and how bad they are and how no one can upstage him.

I looked around at the classroom and pouted at the horror of first-year cauldrons. Sadly, it seemed like there was no way I could take this task too literally and comply maliciously. The only thing I could think of is scrubbing so hard the walls inside the cauldrons thin out and crack. _It really sucks not being The Hulk sometimes._

”How long do I have?" I asked.

"Two hours. The sooner you stop talking the sooner you'll finish."

_Wow he should start a life hacks channel on YouTube._

 

I stopped scrubbing when I, quite literally, couldn't feel my arms anymore. There weren't many cauldrons left and I still had forty minutes to go, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a break. I sat on some random seat, pulled out my water bottle from my backpack and took a sip. I glanced at the professor's desk only to find him sitting there doing some... work? _Who does work on the first day of school?_  His quill stopped moving and he looked up at me as if my thoughts interrupted him.

"I'll get back to work now," I said hastily after gulping my water - almost choking.

I stretched and shook the soreness from my muscles and started scrubbing with whatever strength I had left. The potion we brewed today turned out so slimy for some that it left residue so difficult to clean out.

It felt embarrassing cleaning my own cauldron. I had a long way to go and wasn’t sure how or where I could practice potion making on my own outside class.

“Professor, sorry to interrupt you” _not really_ “but where can I practice brewing today’s potion outside class? Is there a potion-making area in the library?” 

“First year students aren’t permitted to brew any potion on their own outside class," he said calmly without lifting his eyes off the parchment before him, "this school doesn’t have a death wish. You will brew all potions on your curriculum many times... in class," he insisted by raising his voice saying the last part, "before your examination. That should be enough unless you're a dunderhead.” 

My eyes gleamed. I huffed out a small chuckle.  _Does he act like a wet cat all the time?_ He looked at me - his expression serious and all. My lips pressed against each other holding back a burst of laughter. I nodded and went back to my work, giving him my back so I can laugh quietly. _Dunderheads, really?_

Nothing in the whole wide world compares to how euphoric scrubbing the last cauldron made me feel. I scrubbed it like my life depended on it. When I finished, I instinctively jump back, arms in the air, smiling wide and biting my lower lip in happiness. I tried so hard to keep myself from screeching loudly as I usually do. Good news is Mr.’ _I didn’t grow out of my 7th grade emo phase’_ didn’t notice.

"I'm done,” I faced him and declared proudly.

"Dismissed," he said without looking at me, he sounded as annoyed as always.

"See you tomorrow, Professor." Not waiting for a reply, I walked out the room, hugging my books. My phone said it was 5 PM. _What?! Have I really been in there for that long? Two hours passed and I didn't even feel it. Ugh, I really am a slow cleaner._

 

***

 

Making my way out of the potions classroom, I heard an aggressive and unfamiliar voice coming from the left end of the dungeon corridor threaten another student.

“Admit it! Say I’m the best witch at Hogwarts!” the voice said. 

“That would be logically impossible!” a familiar voice replied.

My curiosity led me to the voices. The corridor opened to a small hallway to its left that was home to wooden double doors closed shut. A short-haired girl wearing my house colors towered over a shorter hufflepuff I recognized.

_'_ Wait, is that Hannah? _'_ I whispered to myself standing from a distance.

"Hey! What's going on here?" I asked loudly as the adrenaline launched my legs forward in a brisk walk.

"Stay out of it," the slytherin girl ordered before turning her attention back to poor Hannah, 

"Admit it or prove to me you're better right now," she spat.

"Hey, get away from her!" I yelled

The slytherin girl's eyes looked me up and down. Her... purple eyes?! 

"Who do you think you are?” she thundered

"Do you think you're tough tormenting her?"

“Do you think _you’re_ tough interrupting our talk?" she turned to face me, “the dueling room is right here,” her right index pointed to the double wooden doors, “or are you scared?” 

“I don’t want any trouble,” I tried to reason

“You don’t have a choice,” she threatened

“You’re just afraid I’ll humiliate you.”

“Let’s find out who will _really_ be humiliated right now,” she sneered and pulled her wand out.

“Blackwell. I knew you would be trouble,” Snape's voice crept from behind me.

“Professor Snape!” I turned around, startled, “she was bullying Han-"

"I don't want to hear it," he cut me off for the second time today, “go to your dormitories, the three of you. Be thankful you aren’t headed to detention." With that, he returned to his classroom. Merula stared me down and left the dungeons.

"Are you okay?" I asked Hannah

"Used to it," her glassy eyes said otherwise and it broke my heart.

"No one deserves to be treated that way. Have you told anyone about this?" 

"No," her voice cracked but she held back her tears.

"It's okay. You can trust I won't let her hurt you again," I tried to comfort her as I walked her to the hufflepuff entrance. For the first time in my life I felt like an older sister. 

"Thank you, I sh- I should go I have homework to do," she ran inside. 

_I was wrong about Hogwarts being bullying-free. Who was this girl? How come we're in the same house but I haven't seen her around before?_

 

***

 

I walked into our common room and caught Violet studying next to the fireplace.

"Hey! I haven't seen you all day,” I leaned on the edge of the desk.

"Hey hey girlfriend, where were you?" she asked

"Well, let's see. I went to Diagon Alley before classes began, went to my classes, and spent 2 hours in detention with Snape. Does he never smile?" I pouted.

"Not really, no. He will smirk a little if he's making fun of someone,” she said. 

I sighed and asked “did you eat already?"

"No, let's go I'm starving.”

"Ugh, me too,” I said as I rolled my eyes. Detention after potions class meant I had no time for lunch.

"I'm almost too afraid to ask but how bad was detention?"

"Can't feel my arms,” I answered as I cringed a little, "and on top of that I have detention for the rest of the week too.”

"Forget about him, he's the worst. Now let's go get fat.”

I've had worse teachers in high school and college and I almost wanted to defend him but I chuckled and shrugged as we walked into the great hall. Leo spotted us before we could see him, with Violet and I being preoccupied staring at the food.

"Hey!" Leo said as he waved, "over here!"

Violet pulled me by my sleeve and lead me to the table.

"Idiot, you didn't have to do that. We literally sit in the same spot every single day,” Violet scolded as she gave him a noogie.

"Okay okay, geez! You both looked lost when you walked in," he laughed.

"We're hungry,” she said as she sat beside him. I sat on the opposite bench facing the two.

We ate dinner and, as we were getting up to leave, the girl who picked on Hannah earlier deliberately bumps my shoulder and I trip backwards, falling in a sitting position on the bench.

“Mudblood," she spat as she walked by my left to take a seat, all while her head was turned and her eyes were on me. I could quite literally see evil in her eyes.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Violet sounded genuinely concerned, "what a bitch!" 

"I'm fine, who the heck is that? I saw her pick on a hufflepuff earlier today.”

"Merula, the bitch of class 2019,” she blurted.

"I don't think there's anyone left in this school she hasn't picked on, not even the two of us, ” Leo tried to comfort me as the three of us left the great hall. 

"Whatever. The next time she's around I'll have my wand ready,” I said. I was sick of getting bullied at high school and I'm not going to let history repeat itself.

"You can't really do that though, dueling is not allowed on campus," Violet said.

"It's okay to break the rules from time to time, no?" I said, annoyed at how many rules this school has.

"Elena, you barely know any spells. She's a sixth year. We just don't want you to get hurt,” he said.

"One: I can learn and Two: I'll get hurt either way, so might as well stand up for myself.”

“I get where you’re coming from. If you're going to do this, you're not doing it alone. I can teach you all the dueling spells I know, library after dinner everyday?" Leo asked as he raised his eyebrows and looked down at me. _He looks so innocent._

"Yes!" I almost shouted.

"If you want to learn how to duel, you have to know what it's like to get hit. I won't go easy on you,” he bossed playfully but I could see he meant it.

"So don’t,” I smiled, “if that's the case, I don't think the library would be a great place to practice. How about the courtyard?"

"Sure, sounds good. Do you want to start today?" 

"I can't feel my arms, Leo”

“Right, you had detention. So tomorrow it is,” he shrugged and smiled slyly.

"Hey, listen, I'll leave you with my favorite charms book. I’ve already bookmarked all dueling spells. It will give you some background knowledge on all the incantations Leo will teach you,” Violet said.

"You guys are the best,” I said as I tried to wrap my arms around their shoulders, except I was much shorter so I could only really reach their shoulder blades. I felt like the luckiest person on the planet to have them both by my side.

 

***

 

We made it to the common room and I threw myself on one of the couches facing the fireplace. Violet sat beside me and Leo relaxed on the couch in front of us.

"You guys, can our professors read our minds?" I asked

"We don't know that about any of our professors for sure, it's very personal,” she answered while casually playing with her wavy hair, ”some wizards can read minds, but they require a wand and a spell. Some only require eye contact. Some only need to be in the same room as the person they're reading.” 

My stomach turned. _Snape was reading my mind this whole time._

"And it's called legilimency,” Leo added, drawing my attention back to them both and away from the overwhelming realization.

"...and is there a way I can know whether someone is reading my mind?"

"That would be occlumency,” Violet answered, “you can be skilled in both, but it takes time and dedication. Why are you asking anyway?” she pouted and her eyebrows furrowed.

“Nothing,” I lied, "I just heard mind reading is a thing here, wasn’t sure whether that was true or just a rumor.”

She nodded slowly.

“I’ll just focus on learning dueling spells for now.”

I sighed and shot my head back resting it on the couch, staring at the green ceiling bordered with silver serpents. _I haven't been at Hogwarts for a week and this place is driving me insane already._

"I'm going to bed now,” Leo yawned as he stretched, “ciao.” 

_This guy is Italian! I knew it._

“Night," Violet and I replied.

"Are you not going to sleep?" Violet asked as she got up.

"I think I'm going to sleep here. The noise of the fire is so calming."

"You're so weird,” she chuckled playfully, “well I'm going to sleep..." her eyes looked to the right then back at me "...in my own bed..." she did the thing with her eyes again,"...in my own pajamas," she whispered this part.

This girl never fails to make me laugh, "night weirdo" 

Our school uniform is not the most comfortable thing to sleep in but I was way too tired to get up and change. All I did was take off my robe and kick off my shoes. I lay there as the fire crackled, watching the flames curl and sway. I felt my eyes getting heavy and I hoped and prayed to get some descent sleep tonight. No nightmares, no nothing. Just sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this story’s ending today (but not the chapters in between) and I cried so much!!!! AAAAHHHHH!! I can’t wait to finish it :’)


	5. framed

I woke up sweating profusely and it wasn’t because I slept next to the fireplace. The nightmare I saw tonight was terrible. My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. Without thought, I got up and walked out of the common room, up the stairs, and into the ground floor corridors. My cognitive map hasn’t yet gotten used to the castle’s interior structure. I walked mindlessly, hoping to find my way out of the castle. My lungs felt chained and my breathing was faint. I needed some fresh air - badly. It was dark and I had forgotten my wand in my cloak, which I left in the common room, so there was no way I could cast lumos. I had to just cross my fingers and keep walking into random hallways. 

Luckily, I noticed the light of the moon shining into the hallway I stood in, spilling through the archways separating the indoors and the courtyard. I rushed to them and stopped when I could feel the cool breeze coming in brushing against my cheeks.

_Okay… I’m on the edge of courtyard._

The light, cold air began cleansing my worries away.

_Everything’s cool. Everything’s peaceful and quiet._

I took a deep breath and felt my anxiety escape when I exhaled. 

_I’m okay._

My heart rate began slowing down. Before stepping outside, I looked down to my feet only to realize I didn't put my shoes on. To my surprise, the castle floor wasn’t too cold so I hadn't noticed my feet were only shielded by thin cotton until now. 

“Taking a little walk in the moon light, are we?” said a stern voice. I jumped and held my breath as I turned. 

_It’s the head of my house, not some ghost trying to kill me._

I exhaled in relief and my shoulders came down. 

"Professor, I really just needed some fresh air,” my right thumb pointed to the courtyard.

"What. For?" he asked indifferently as if he were doubting my motives. He did a really good job at making the whitespaces between words audible. His question took me back to the dread and adrenaline-infused panic that swamped me moments ago. I could feel my eyes getting warmer, so I looked down and sniffled quietly hoping he won't notice. I don’t like feeling vulnerable around people, let alone someone I see everyday. I raised my head as I absent-mindedly gazed outside, my body slightly turning to the right, avoiding eye contact at all costs. 

“I just get anxious sometimes and the outdoors help,” I said as my eyes scanned the courtyard and night sky. 

I turned to him abruptly, "will you take away any house points, sir?”

He tilted his head up slightly, clenched his jaw, and raised an eyebrow, “I should,” he looked me up and down in a belittling way. 

“Do whatever you think is right, professor,” I miffed bitterly, “I have no excuses.”As my facial muscles clenched, I looked away to avoid eye contact again. I know I probably shouldn’t have said that but his unseemly arrogant attitude really gets on my nerves and my nerves were already wrecked to begin with.

“You cannot roam the corridors after curfew. I have said this to you before. Make this the last time I repeat myself,” he spat. Not believing that he’s simply leaving me with a verbal warning, my eyes squinted instinctively at him, his face still showing no emotion.

My gaze shifted to my side, then to the floor, then back to him. ”Yes, professor, it won't happen again,” I said _knowing it definitely will_. His facial expression changed now to look a bit more annoyed. _He definitely read my intention._

"Go to your dormitory. Now.” He ordered before walking off without waiting for a reply, his cloak gracefully billowing behind him. I waited for him to disappear so I could sit against the archway I stood next to. 

Even though I was sitting on the hard floor with my back resting against a stone pillar, I felt very comfortable. Which I figured wasn't good because A) I could fall asleep right then and there and B) I could fall asleep, period. Which meant nightmares. I did my best to focus on the beautiful night sky to try and clear my mind. Since Hogwarts was on the outskirts of Scotland, there wasn't much light pollution. The sky was clear and I could see lots of stars. It was a breathtaking view, like nothing I’ve seen in my city. I sat there and studied the stars. It’s nice having everything be okay for a moment.

It didn't take long for my head to be get occupied with the unfathomable dark eyed wizard. What was _he_ roaming the corridors this late for? It is Mr.Filch’s job to watch over the empty halls after curfew for mischievous student matters, not his. What’s he up to? And why did he only leave me with a verbal warning for something he had already scolded me about before? 

 

The cold breeze swayed the warmth off of my body faster than my body could replace it. I got up and sneaked into my common room hoping no one sees me. I went straight to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. It felt like the warm water washed down the weight the past 24 hours put on me. I put some pajamas on and checked the time. It was 4 AM: three more hours until breakfast is served. I was genuinely surprised I haven't woken anyone up.

I pulled out my sketchbook and brush-tip markers and painted my mind to ease. I drew Mrs.Norris - Mr.Filch’s red-eyed cat - Professor Snape, the little house elves, Professor Dumbledore, and Hagrid. I couldn’t sleep and there was one more thing I could do: scan through the book of charms Violet gave me. I learned quite a few spells, theoretically of course. They were all equally fascinating.

 

\- 6:30 AM -

It was dawn before I knew it and other students had woken up already. I put my robes back on and waited for Violet and Leo in the common room.

"You slept here the whole night?" Violet asked, her blonde beach waves bouncing as she sat in the couch facing me.

"Most of the night. Do you know where I can get some mocha?"

"What's that? Sounds illegal," Leo asked like a little child as he walked up towards us. Violet looked back at me and we both chuckled in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you, how do you not know what mocha is?! It’s a caffeinated drink!" she laughed.

“Never heard of it but it sounds delicious,” he said nonchalantly.

"It is. Too bad it seems like they don’t make it here. Whatever, let's go eat,” I said painfully unenthusiastically. I had no appetite for food knowing having breakfast meant I’ll be in Merula’s vicinity.

 

***

 

We sat at our already-packed house table. I surveyed the benches to see where Merula was before sighing in relief when I figured she's not here yet. I glanced at the professor's table and Professor Snape's head was turned to his right as he spoke to the teacher beside him, Professor McGonagall. I replayed last night in my head and smiled. _He was so nice for letting me get away with roaming the school so late last night,_ I thought to myself. His eyes met mine almost immediately. My body stiffened and I smiled nervously with wide eyes before shifting my gaze to Leo, sitting in front of me. 

"Good morning everyone!" Merula stormed in, "sorry to interrupt your _fine_ meal this _fine_ morning,” she spoke in a way that prolonged vowels, “but I have a warning for the whole school: beware, we've got a thief here. She snuck into Professor Snape's private storage this morning. I saw her take a vial with my own eyes, everyone!”

Everyone was whispering and exchanging looks. The kids from our table looked painfully embarrassed. 

“She has to have a loose screw somewhere,” Violet blurted

“I wish she wasn't a slytherin,” a guy from our table hissed

“I know right! This is embarrassing for all of us,” someone else replied Merula burst towards our table, walking in my direction

_What’s she doing?_

She grabbed me by my robe and yanked me out of the bench, “Elena Blackwell, everyone!”

I looked her dead in the eyes and quietly whispered, "you filthy little shit." My hands pushed her arms down and off of me, "she's lying, just so everyone knows.” I announced, facing everyone in the great hall, sounding more calm than I actually was.

"Snyde. Blackwell. Follow me to my office now,” a distant, stern but kind voice commanded. It was professor Dumbledore. He nodded his head to one side motioning for Snape to come along. I was filled with rage and I wasn't sure I could keep myself together.

 

***

 

The four of us walked into Dumbledore's office. 

"Just what in the world did you think you were doing?" Snape barked at Merula with his jaw clenched and so much anger in his eyes. 

_He kinda looks good_

His stare quickly turned to meet mine, his facial muscles relaxing as he did. I took a deep breath and looked away. 

"Where did you see her place the stolen potion, Miss Snyde?" Dumbledore inquired.

"She put it in her backpack. The pink one."

"I only have one you stupid bi—“ I cut myself off when I realized how inappropriate it is to swear in front of the headmaster.

"Snape, please, accompany Miss Blackwell to her dorm room to get her backpack. Miss Snyde, wait here until they come back. And, for your information, even if Miss Blackwell did in fact steal something, you will not get away with the scene you made. That was extremely disrespectful.” Dumbledore declaimed. His words comforted me a lot but they had no effect on Merula. She was staring at me and smirking the whole time. 

"Blackwell." Snape called for me as he motioned to the stone gargoyle. I bolted out of there, outpacing him. My hands were shaking and I wanted to either run the adrenaline off or punch Merula’s face. I stopped when I reached the slytherin common room and waited for my professor to catch up which didn’t take long because he was only a few steps away. I took a deep breath, turned around and calmly said, "Professor Snape, I… am being framed. I did not steal a thing and I would never."

“Pure-blood,” he said, unlocking the entrance and completely ignoring me. He walked in and I tilted my head up facing the ceiling as I groaned quietly in frustration. 

_I feel like this school is taunting me everywhere I go today._

I walked past him and he followed me inside the girl's dorm to be sure I don't tamper with the contents of the bag. I grabbed it and bolted past him without a word.

 

***

 

Dumbledore asked me to empty my bag, which I did. I wasn't surprised when I pulled out a vial containing light, sky blue liquid labeled 'Calming Draught.'

Merula laughed hysterically, “See? Told you!” 

_How can a human’s voice be so annoying?_ I didn't know it was possible to feel this much hatred and anger towards someone. 

My eyes rapidly shifted their gaze between my two professors as I shook my head, "I didn't do it, I swear. She put it in my bag, she’s framing me!” I tried my best to keep my composure, and to my surprise, I did.

"I sense she is telling the truth, headmaster. Miss Snyde has a habit of blaming her mischief on others,” Snape said, his eyes not leaving Merula.

He walked up to me and signaled with his hand for me to hand him the vial, which I did without hesitation. He pulled out the cork and sniffed the blue liquid.

"Headmaster, this indeed _is_ the calming draught I make. I, however, don't believe Miss Blackwell is the one who stole it. If she did, why would she herself take it out?”

"But, Professor! I was in the slytherin house much longer than her! You can't trust her over me!” His eyes squinted slightly at Merula. 

“Silence!” the headmaster yelled.

"Well, Severus, I think it would be best if you bring us some Veritaserum." Dumbledore's gaze shifted to meet mine, “if you don't know what that is, Miss Blackwell, it's a potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth. It's colorless and odorless, almost indistinguishable from water. You will be given just the right amount, 3 drops, diluted in a glass of water." Professor Dumbledore informed me kindly. “The one telling lies will be giving a public apology in the great hall right now. She will also be suspended for 3 school days, lose her privilege to go to Hogsmeade for Christmas break, and her parents will be notified of her actions." Dumbledore continued and I smiled at the thought of all that happening to Merula who was already breathing heavily in anger, "but sir, I saw her!"

“Silence,” Dumbledore commanded quietly this time. 

“Get the potion and two glasses of water, Severus, we will wait here.”

 

***

 

The wait for the head of my house to come back felt like an eternity. I drank my glass and the headmaster began interrogating me.

"What's your name?"

"Elena. Elena Blackwell"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty"

"Did you steal anything from Professor Snape's private storage?"

"No"

"Did you ask someone to steal something for you from Professor Snape's storage?"

"No"

"Do you know who stole the vial from Professor Snape's storage?”

"No"

"Did you see or hear anyone sneak into or speak of stealing from Professor Snape's storage?”

"No"

“Very well, Miss Blackwell. Thank you.” Dumbledore said warmly. He filled another glass with water and added 3 drops of the clear potion.

Merula’s face was red like it was going to explode. 

“Here," Dumbledore handed Merula her glass. She only drank half of it before she placed it back on his desk. He opened his mouth as to say something but he was cut off by Snape's sharp voice. 

“Drink it all.” 

Merula growled and did as she was told.

"What's your name?"

"Merula Snyde."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen"

"Did you steal anything from Professor Snape's private storage?"

"No"

"Did you ask someone to steal something on your behalf from Professor Snape's storage?"

"Yes. Vincent Crabbe."

She was biting her fists and fidgeting uncontrollably. 

_What a laughably satisfying sight._

"You asked Vincent Crabbe to steal this vial of calming draught from Professor Snape's office, with the intention of framing Miss Elena Blackwell and he did what you asked him to, is that correct?"

“Yes. That is correct.”

I chuckled in relief. She gave me the meanest, most evil side eye I've ever seen, which I found a bit entertaining.

"Fair enough. Miss Snyde, you are to give Miss Blackwell a public apology right now, after which you may pack your things. Your suspension takes effect today at 10 in the morning and it lasts three school days. Hagrid will take you to Hogwarts Express. I will have a word with Mr.Crabbe. You all may return to the great hall now.” 

Merula growled as she got up and left. My eyes followed her as she reached the gargoyle and I couldn't help but laugh at her. 

"Thank you, sir,” I grinned at Dumbledore. He returned a sincere smile and patted my shoulder, “No worries, my dear.”

 

***

 

Snape, Merula and I walked into the great hall. Everyone went quiet as we entered and all eyes were on us. I winked at Violet and Leo as I walked up to our table.

“You guys are going to love this,” I said as I sat down, watching Merula follow Snape to the front of the teacher's table. 

“What happened?” Violet asked. 

“Just listen,” I nodded towards Merula.

“Sorry for ruining everyone's breakfast, I guess,” she said indifferently, “and for falsely accusing Miss Blackwell. It was just a joke, but clearly, some people have no sense of humor,” she rolled her eyes and tried to walk off but Snape’s voice stopped her half way. 

“Miss Snyde. Are you not going to tell everyone who the real thief is?" he sneered.

“Vincent Crabbe,” she sighed, “I dared him to steal a potion from Professor Snape's to put it on that filthy mudblood."

“Awww, shut up!”…“Dumb _witch_ ,” the crowd of students roared.

“She's not even a real slytherin!" Merula yelled. 

“20 points from slytherin,” Snape shouted, his voice having the same effect as a gavel in a chaotic courtroom. 

She walked up to our table and raged at me, "don't think this is the end, Blackwell. I'll be watching you all the way from the comfort of my own house." She stormed out as I laughed watching her leave with that walk. She walked like she was about to yell ‘ _can I speak to the manager?_ ’ I told Violet and Leo exactly what happened at Dumbledore’s office and they couldn’t believe how dumb that girl is. 

 

***

 

The great hall’s cozy beauty consumed me. The warmth in every detail made me feel like I was home: the crackling fire behind our table, the students’ chattering, the post owls that flew in and out as they pleased, the floating candles and the windows that stretched the length of the walls. _It felt like Hogwarts is home._ In the process of admiring the great hall, I naturally glanced at the teacher's table. The dark eyed wizard shifted his gaze from Hagrid to stare back at me. I nodded, smiling politely at him before looking down at my plate. _That stare,_ I thought. _Potent. Staring isn’t really the right word to describe what my positions master does. Whatever he’s doing… it makes me feel exposed, like he’s reading my diary._ I quickly glanced at him hoping no one notices. _Yeah... he definitely is using legilimency and studying me. Why would he bother? It should make me uncomfortable but it didn't. Why didn’t it?_ _I’m certain he’s skilled in mind reading, but what about mind controlling?_ I looked at Violet and Leo to see if they noticed his strange surveillance behavior. Nope.

 

\- 12:00 PM - 

Today day passed by so slowly because I had herbology class in the morning, which was exhaustingly boring. I feel bad saying this because our professor, Sprout, is the sweetest person on the planet. She was so delighted to see us and teach us all these cool things about plants. I took an instant liking to her, but the subject itself? Not so much…

 

I sat in the packed astronomy classroom, daydreaming, before an elbow bumped my arm.

“hey you okay? I was in the great hall this morning I saw what happened.”

“Felix?” I smiled at him in delight but my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "I'm fine, thanks. What are you doing here?” I asked, genuinely curious why my prefect was attending a year one class. 

“Glad to hear. Well, I’m doing my apprenticeship this summer I want to be an astronomy professor when I graduate”

“Good choice! Space is so fascinating” _I mean it_

“attaboy, good luck,” I hit his arm playfully with the back of my hand.

A beautiful, tall, dark skinned woman walked in. _She looks like a model._

“Hello and good afternoon students. My name is Aurora Sinistra, your astronomy professor. Today you will be learning all about sundials.” 

I did my best to follow along but with no success. My head is a jungle. I pulled out my sketchbook to keep myself from drowning in my own thoughts.

 

***

 

The potions classroom’s door stood ajar but I still knocked anyway. 

“Go in,” a voice coming from behind me said. I looked over my shoulder with my eyes shot wide open. It was Snape, holding a stack of books in his arms, looking extra tired today. I held the door open for him and followed him in.

"Your task for today…” _I held the door for you, you’re welcome_ “…will be organizing these books in alphabetical order,” he said making his way to his desk, letting go of the books he held with a loud thud. He asked me to simply _order_ his books. He did not specify in _which_ order. A wicked part of me so badly wanted to comply maliciously and organize them in descending order. I just couldn't bring myself to do that. He was so nice for taking my side this morning.

 

_How does a classroom get so messy within a week?_ There were books all over the place: on the floor, on his desk, his office chair, randomly scattered on shelves and on students’ desks.

“Have you read all these books, sir?” I asked while my hand caressed the spines of books sitting on the third shelf. There was a long pause so I looked over my shoulder to see whether he was listening or not. Nope. He was busy grading papers. The books that were sitting on his chair now sat on the floor. 

"Yes. Don't waste your time or mine. You only have two hours to finish your chore.”

_yessir._

I started clearing the top shelves first. After all the shelves were emptied out, I dusted them off like my life depended on it. My arms hurt like I had been digging dirt all day. I organized the books in stacks on the floor according to ascending alphabetical order before neatly placing them onto the shelves.

 

I stood back, smiling smugly at the beautiful orderly arrangement, alined back-to-back.

“I’m finished, sir anything else?” I asked dully. Today’s task left me practically dead.

“Dismissed.”

There was one more thing I needed to do: thank him for defending me against Merula, I just did not know _how_ he was going to take it. It was the right thing to do so I didn’t want to think too much of it. 

“Professor,” I paused, demanding him to put down his quill and listen to me, which he did.  
“Thank you so much for standing up for me today and believing me before I even drank that truth potion. I really do appreciate it,” I smiled warmly. He gave a forced, curt smile and nodded before returning to his students’ essays. 

 

***

 

_Today is the day._ I was so excited to finally learn combat spells that I uncharacteristically gobbled my dinner too quickly before running to the courtyard.

"Hey you!" I said when I spotted him, ending my jog and catching my breath.

"Hey old lady, what's up?" he looked at me weird with a sly smile on his face

"Excited to learn my… my first combat spell!” I panted.

"They're not really called that…" he chuckled, "they're called dueling spells, let's start there.”

"Roger that!"

"Okay so let's begin, shall we?" he pointed at and walked towards five metallic ragged dummy bags.

"When it comes to dueling, we've got three stances: sneaky, defensive, and aggressive." I nodded before he continued, "sneaky beats defensive, aggressive beats sneaky, and defensive beats aggressive."

“Okay,” I made a mental note to write that information later.

"It's best to start off sneaky, striking your opponent when they least expect it, then go to aggressive mode. Only choose defensive spells if you're hurt bad and you really need to heal."

"Gotcha!"

We practiced stances and spells for about an hour and had to end our session when the outside got quite.

"I think you've learned enough for one day,” he stuck his palm out to high-five me.

"This was a lot more fun than I was expecting!” the flat of my right palm slapped against his, “I mean, I've always been into combat sports and martial arts but this is something else!"

"Yeah, it is fun,” he smiled at the ground, hands in his pockets, "the more spells you learn, the more fun it is."

"I bet. Thank you! I learned a lot today,”

_I’m so lucky to have made friends this soon in a completely different world._

"Ah yeah, not a problem," he replied casually, "there's a dueling club if you didn't know, the room at the end of the dungeon corridor. Would you like to join?" he looked at me with raised eyebrows. 

_That innocent look again_

"I'd love to! I just don't want Merula or her sidekicks to know what I'm up to so maybe some time in the future."

“That girl is just obsessed with being the best,” his face grimaced with disgust, “but fair enough,” he shrugged and we parted ways 

 

***

 

\- 11:15 PM -

My first impression of my positions professor was that he’s a narcissistic stuck up guy who loves to abuse the authority he had. I don’t think that of him anymore. I think he simply has issues speaking his mind. I’ve seen grown people act this way before, and they did mostly because they were abused as kids. These kids grow up thinking that it’s either dominate or be dominated. _Okay, I need to stop…_ w _hy am I so overly analytical anyway?_

In my pajamas, I lay in bed, fingers crossed hoping and praying I don't get nightmares for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys!!! please tell me what you think and let me know what to improve, I will be forever grateful! ♡


	6. nightmare... or is it?

It was eerily quiet. It took a lot of force for my heavy eyelids to unveil my eyes.

‘Where in am I?’ I whispered to myself.

The surface my body rested on was hard and it felt coarse and fuzzy against my face and palms. It was too dark for me to see the details of my own hands. Tall, thin, leafless trees seemed to stretch infinitely into the dark starless and moonless night sky, almost like prison bars. I sat up and I could physically feel the ground below me, like I had somehow teleported there.

"Hello!" I yelled hoping Hagrid - or anybody - hears me and gets me out of here. My breathing was shallow and my legs ran cold but I managed to pull myself together and get up. Walking aimlessly, my legs hardly carrying my weight, I scanned the area for an exit or at least a clue. 

"Is there anybody in here? Hellooo!" I screamed louder than I did before. No echo, no reply, just silence. 

Suddenly, something... some _force_ pulled my arm to the ground and as my body hit the floor, I was suddenly laying down in my own dorm bed, wide awake. 

My body jerked and I gasped in fear. The dread I felt was overwhelming and I couldn't help but let the warm tears run down my cold cheeks. _Crying is honestly so therapeutic and underrated._ I looked at my clock, it was 2 a.m.

Tonight's nightmare was different... it felt real, tangible, like I really was there. _Was that a lucid dream? Was that even a dream at all?_

I headed straight to the bathroom, washed my face, and watched my dull reflection stare back at me. I turned my body sideways so I can get a good look at my right arm because it hurt quite a bit. _I don’t like where this was going._ I lifted my pj top sleeve anyway, just enough to reveal a big, dark purple bruise. My insides sank. _In the dream, I fell to my right. My right arm is bruised. This can't be…_

I was at a loss as to what I should do next. I had to investigate this crap for myself _by myself_. There was no way I was dragging Violet or Leo or anyone into this madness. 

The most familiar place to the one I saw is the forbidden forest. 

I changed into a thick burgundy wool sweater, tucked my dark grey sweatpants inside my black Dr. Marten's mid calf boots, grabbed my wand and headed there.

I managed to escape the castle without getting in trouble. It was chilly outside and my thick sweater seemed to be doing little at keeping me warm. It was a two minute walk from the castle to the the forbidden forest.

Standing at the edge of the forest, I looked around to make sure no one was following me before walking in. Just like my dream, it was eerily quiet and cold. The trees matched the ones I saw, too. 

_I have a really bad gut feeling… I’m not supposed to be in here._

I cast lumos, walked in slowly and carefully hoping I don't make too much noise. The trees were more sparse than the ones I saw in my sleep. 

_Good, now I know what to look for: an area dense with trees._

I had no clue how far this forest stretched and no map either, so it was all just guess work.

I froze in my place refusing to turn around when I heard a branch break so close to me. _What was that?_

Crunch.

I heard shoes stepping on and crushing fallen, dried up leaves.

Crunch. 

The sound was getting louder with each step.

Crunch. 

I put my wand down and tried to be as invisible as I could.

Crunch. 

Crunch. 

Crunch. 

“Lumos," it was a familiar voice.. 

_Oh no! Oh no no no no no, it's  Snape!_ He has been so nice to me and I honestly did not want to disappoint him or lose house points and disappoint my fellow slytherins. 

"What. in the world. do you think you're. doing. Blackwell?" he said under his breath as he quietly marched towards me. He was visibly angry yet somehow managed to keep his voice low but his footsteps - not so quiet.

"Professor, I swear I can explain!"

"Shhhh!" he spat,  "have you any clue how much trouble you’re in?” he scolded quietly as he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the edge of the forest.

"I had to I-"

"Shut it! I am not hearing your pitiful excuses! You can't roam around the castle grounds like you own them," he tried keeping his voice down but anger got the best of him.

We heard a howl, loud enough to make the two of us stop dead in our tracks. He turned around and looked over me, his hand still latched to my left forearm. I followed his gaze then looked back at him, "Do you think that's a werewolf?" 

He sneered at me in disgust and threw my left arm back to me out of his grip, "stay here," he commanded.

_Okay just what the heck is he doing? This is literally how people die in movies…_

"We have to get out of here, Professor!" I whispered loud enough for him to hear and give me a nasty side eye in response. My breathing was bad. So bad it made me feel like I was going to pass out. He took a few steps closer to where the howls were coming from: the heart of the forest.

A giant black wolf came out of hiding. It stood there on a rocky hill in the middle of the fog, its narrow **kyanite** eyes filled with rage and its teeth unveiled themselves. 

‘Shit!’ _shit shit shit shit_. 

"Oh my god.." my voice was shaking and my feet were anchored to the ground. The professor slowly held his wand up in the air

"Petritificus Totalis!" he shouted before backing up and facing me.

"Go!" he ran towards me and placed his hands on my shoulder in a push to nudge me to do the same but I just stood there staring at the wolf's frozen body fall to the side. I couldn't move or look away. 

"Blackwell, move!" Snape shook me and I finally got my feet to work.

We ran and I couldn't help but turn my head to look over my shoulder. It wasn't long before other wolves came out of their den.

I froze and watched as three of them ran in our direction.

"Professor! Look!" I tried to warn him as he mindlessly ran ahead of me. "There's more! It's a whole pack we're dealing with!" 

_There’s no point in running._

I stood my ground, wand in my hand,  "stupefy!" I yelled running in the wolves' direction. One was stunned, one came for me and the third was going after the professor.

"Stupefy!" nothing happened, “Flipendo!" I tried again. 

_shit, it didn't even flinch this time._

"Immobulus!" the professor aimed at the wolf coming for me making it freeze.

"Professor, watch out!" my cries were too late. 

The wolf sprang on him. I instinctively dropped my wand and sprinted towards it from behind, "not my professor you dumb bitch!” 

Its jaw clamped around his neck. 

"NO!" I reached out my arm. A buzz pierced my ears. The scene in front of me faded out of focus. My professor’s screams were muffled. My vision got blurry. The entire incident replayed itself back to me in reverse. 

 

I lay in my dorm bed, awake. 

_Wh-What the heck?_

My body jerked just like it did before and I sprung up off the bed on my feet.

_I don’t understand… I was in the forest… I bumped into Snape. A wolf pounced on the poor guy I held up my hand and tried to run towards it… and now I’m back here._

I checked the time. It’s 2 A.M. again.

_What kind of inception crap is this?_

I looked down at myself and I was in my pj's.

_Wait, what? Is this really happening all over again? Did anything even happen at all? Was that a dream?_ I didn't know what is what anymore.  I had no time to think. I wore the exact same clothes I did before and bolted out into the forest.

_Okay... I passed beside this rock to my left and walked straight ahead… Snape approached me from my right about 5 minutes in._ I made sure to repeat everything I did before so I cast lumos.

 

Crunch. 

_Yes! That's him_. 

I ran in his direction before finally finding him. My wand’s blue light casted shadows on his harsh features.

"Professor Snape!" I tried to be as quiet as I could. Startled, he took a step back, shifted his weight to his back leg, and put his wand up pointing it at me.

“What,” his wand pointed away from me. He relaxed his arm down but his facial muscles didn’t, “in the world-" I grabbed his left arm by his cloak and dragged him towards the edge of the forest. He resisted but I held on —barely. My fingertips were slowly slipping off the thick fabric.

"Blackwell!" he whispered in anger and tried to free his arm from my grip.

"I'll... explain everything, professor, just run!" I was out of breath and my heart felt like it was soaked in acid. The guy was a lot of weight to pull forward and his unwillingness to cooperate didn’t help.

_The wolves appeared about 7 minutes in, walking towards the spot we were at takes 5 minutes. We have two minutes to escape._ _At the pace we’re running that is plenty of time._

The castle came into view. The trees faded out of my peripheral vision. 

_Okay… we’re safe. He’s alive and well. Everything’s cool._

We made it to the edge of the forest. I reluctantly turned to face him. His tense face didn’t imply that he was any less angry now than he was before. He was panting and his hands were busy flattening out the spot on his sleeve that my grip wrinkled.

“You have a lot to explain, Blackwell.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my classes start soon! I'll be updating weekly from now on ♡


	7. delirium

We walked into his cold, pitch-black classroom. With a flick of his wand, a candle’s wick caught a flame lighting up his office just enough so he came into view. His guest chairs were obnoxiously distant form his desk.

_I guess he likes to keep his guests as far away from him as possible._

He didn’t offer me a seat, so I didn’t take one.

“You were roaming _inside_ the forbidden forest, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” he scolded.

_Whoa, I’ve never seen him this angry before._

“Look… Professor I—” I froze trying to put together words to best explain what I saw without making myself come off as crazy,  “Professor,I know this is going to sound crazy but…” a sigh escaped my mouth making my chest feel a bit lighter, “in a different timeline, you found me in the forest — not the other way around like it happened just now.”

My statement made his face grimace in what I assumed to be confused fury.

“You scolded me and dragged me out of there. You were loud. A pack of four wolves came out of hiding. We took down three and—”

“We? You and me? You —a first year? I don’t suppose you take me for a fool, do you?” 

“Of course not, pro—”

He slowly crawled from behind his desk towards me, “your fate lies with me and I might as well send you on a train home. _Tonight,_ ” he lashed out.

“Professor I am not making this up!” I yelled, taking a step back and away from him, “I’m not! I don’t know what is going on but I’m not making anything up you have to believe me I learned some dueling spells, my friend taught me,” I talked so quickly I was out of breath, “I took down one wolf, you took down two and the fourth pounced on you and… bit your neck,” I whispered the last part. His eyebrows furrowed and he stood there silently in disbelief. 

“I don’t know how I did it or what I even did but I— was able to reverse time to back when I haven’t left my dorm yet… and then all that went down.”

The two of us stood there silently studying each other for clues.

_Does he believe me? Is he going to get me expelled?_

“I’d drink the truth potion right now but I don’t even know the truth for myself I can’t explain what happened. One second I was in the forest and I watched you almost get killed and the next I was in bed like twelve minutes earlier don’t you remember?” I was speaking uncharacteristically fast, “the wolf attack?”

He walked back behind his desk ignoring my question.

“Your actions will not go unnoticed,” his voice went back to its low and stealthy nature, “I will notify the headmaster to discuss the appropriate punishment. This discussion will be continued later. Expect an owl within a day,” he paused, “ _or two_ ,” he continued in a whisper.

“I know you don’t believe me bu—”

“ _Any_ sane person will find that hard… to believe. You may go to your dormitory and stay there,” he commanded. I was relieved to know I wasn't going back home.

_This guy is going to expel me one day I just know it._


	8. seeker

I was too scared to dare shut my eyes. I sat there in bed, studying and doodling the rest of the night away.

“I’m starting to think you don’t sleep at all,” Violet yawned and stretched as her tired voice snapped me out of my concentration.

_exactly how am I supposed to tell her and Leo what happened? Am I going to anyway?_

“I slept a bit,” my head turned to face the nightstand beside my bed, my curls draping off the side of my face like a curtain veiling my distressed expression from her, "I’ll uh…” I searched my mind for an escape, “see you at the great hall?” I unintentionally made my statement sounding like a question.

“Okay?” she replied and raised an eyebrow.

_Now I look suspicious… I just made things worse YAY me._

I have successfully avoided everyone for the rest of the day, Violet and Leo included. I shouldn’t have but I was in no mood to talk to anybody. It was nice having meals without Merula around. _She’s coming back_ _next Tuesday, I better enjoy her absence while it lasts._

 

***

 

I sat in the desk next to the fire place at our common room writing an essay for herbology due next Wednesday before a sharp voice with a familiar kind of evil interrupted me.

“Mudblood.”

My face grimaced in disgust as I looked over my shoulder to see who it was.  _Hey I’ve seen you around before._

“Don’t think you’ll get away with what you did to Merula,” he sneered. Two chubby guys stood by his right and left looking like comedic bodyguards.

“The heck are you on about?” I tried to keep my cool.

“She was sent home because of you!”

I rose from my seat about to give him a lecture on why he’s wrong,  “She could have eas-”

“and you won’t get away with it!” his wand pointed in my direction, “incendio!”

I turned to face the bright red and orange rage behind me.

_my homework… oh no_

As I stood there, distracted by the fuming flames, one of the two chubby guys snatched my backpack from beside my chair and ran off. Without much thought, I took off my robe and threw it on the fire and it was silenced right away.

_That was too late… great._ The fire devoured everything on the desk like it was starving and my notes were a ten-course meal.

I ran to the corridor and up to the ground floor, hoping to catch a glimpse of a billowing tail of a slytherin robe.

“Hey-” my breathless speech startled a group of hufflepuffs standing before the the great hall, “-hey I’m sorry to interrupt but have you seen two fat guys and a pale blond one running around? three slytherin guys, no?”

“Yeah they ran outside,” a pale skinned, dark haired guy replied

“Thank you!” My palms touched in a praying position.

_I heard the blond guy was a seeker on the quidditch team. He’s probably in the training grounds bragging to his teammates about what he’s done._

That’s where I headed.

And  there they were. ‘So predictable,’ I whispered to myself.

“Hey!” I shouted as I briskly walked to a bunch of slytherins standing in a circle. When the blond guy saw me, a sly smirk crept on his face as he nudged the guy next to him to look in my direction.

“Give me back my things,” I stormed in cutting through the circle so I was only a few inches away from him.

“oooooo,” he and his teammates mocked, "you can have your bag... if you can find it,” they laughed.

My stomach twisted in spirals. My muscles were tense. My hands clenched in fists. It took all the self control I had to keep my hands from sniping through the air to meet his jaw.

_People like him and Merula are probably oblivious to the muggle world — including muggle technology. I have to take advantage of their stupidity..._

“Actually…” my gaze shifted to the right as if I remembered something, “now that I think of it, you can have it!” I said cheerfully with a promising smile. My statement spread confusion across his face. 

"My phone self destructs and explodes in two hours if it doesn’t read my fingerprint. Just be sure not to sleep next to it if you don’t want to burn your hair off!” My nose crinkled as I shook my head, “not a good look.”

His face sank and his sneer deepened the lines between his nose and cheeks; his eyes did not leave mine. “Greg! Give it back we already have what we need." One of the two chubby kids threw it over to me. 

_what does he mean he has what he needs?_

“Oh? You borrowed a pad? Cause that’s really all I’ve got in here,” I tried to remain nonchalant but his flushed face didn’t help and I burst out laughing, “Madam Pomfrey will have something for the cramps. Don’t ever try to pull crap like that on me again, not smart," I winked at him and walked away.

"I do what I want!" he yelled and I ignored.

 

***

 

"ey Elena can I trouble yeh for a minute?" a familiar raspy voice said making me turn towards it and away from the castle I was walking up to.

"Hagrid! Of course what's up?"

" 'ave you seen me pup Fang? He was runnin' around in the garden outside me hut and a fairy scared 'im" 

"No, what does he look like?"

"Small and he has black fur," Hagrid looked absolutely devastated, "I've looked in the forest and I 'aven't seen 'im... poor things probably hungry and cold." 

“Hey… Hagrid don't worry, I'll ask everyone I see if they've seen him."

"Thank yeh, Elena. I don' know what I'd do without yeh" 

“No problem! Is there anywhere in particular that he likes to go?" 

"Don' tell anyone but he's been just about everywhere in Hogwarts. He likes the transfiguration classroom because he saw a cat in there once..."

"I'll go look for him right now, we'll find him"

"I hope yer right, Elena..." 

_The castle is huge and he could be anywhere... I'm glad he's already checked the forest, I don't want to have to go there again._

Professor McGonagall is definitely not someone I want to cross; her attitude is militant and she'll probably give me detention for sneaking into her classroom uninvited. _Whatever, a puppy's life is worth it all._ I had my first transfiguration class two days ago; good thing the spell we learned is Revelio. 

_I never imagined that this place looks depressive at night..._

I walked into the dimly lit empty classroom and cast the spell on all objects that looked out of place with no success. I looked around the castle and asked everyone but no one saw him. I gave up on my search and went back to my common room. My backpack slid off my right shoulder and met the floor again. The desk remained the same mess it was before. I cleaned it up and figured I still had time to rewrite my essay.

_I should probably study in a busy area from now on, maybe the library or the great hall._ _The latter seems like a better option since Hagrid will probably be there and I can ask about Fang._

"You're Elena Blackwell, right?" A gryffindor guy bumped into me in the corridor on my way there.

"Yes, wha- who are you?" 

"Nevile Longbottom. I'm a sixth year. I just want to say thank you for standing up to Merula.” 

"Who told you I did that?" 

"I was watching from the end of the dungeons corridor. Draco and her torment my friends and I and call us mudbloods." 

"Draco? The blond kid, right?" 

"Yeah the blond guy" 

"I'm so sorry, it's so embarrassing that they’re slytherins..." 

"I'm just glad someone finally took a stand,” happiness spread over his face in a broad smile making his two front teeth stick out.

"I won't leave them alone, don't worry,” I patted his right arm. 

"Thanks, Elena, I—I‘ll see you around,” he waved and walked on.

 

_There’s Hagrid. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I’ll have to let him know no one saw his dog…_

"Hagrid I looked around but I didn't find Fang I'm so sorry” 

"I found Fang!” his eyes twinkled, “Actually me friend Aragog found 'im an' was nice enough teh send 'im back toward me hut instead of eatin' 'im." 

"Eating him?”   

"He's an acronantula" 

"Acro -what?" 

"A really big spider," he grinned

"Oh! Wow uh... how big?"  

"You can stop by me hut for a visit anytime! I'll show yeh all the animals, I think you'll like 'em. I'm quite the cook if I say so meself. What deh yeh think?" 

"Thank you, that would be lovely!" 

"Glad teh hear it. I need to do a bit of cleanin', but I'll send yeh an owl when I'm ready. Tomorrow's yer first weekend here, have fun!" 

"Thanks!" My smile faded when I realized it will probably be my last weekend here as well.


	9. visions

I bumped into Violet and Leo on my way out of the great hall the next morning.

“Hey stranger, I see you ate already,” Violet said sarcastically as she grabbed my arm and dragged me back inside. 

“I—“

“We can tell you’ve been avoiding us,” Leo cut me off, following us inside

“I haven’t I—“

“One: you didn’t wait for us yesterday,” she interrupted, “AND this morning so we could go have breakfast together and two: you don’t sit where we usually sit at the table.” 

I opened my mouth to cut her off but she rose her index finger my face, “and THREE you didn’t talk to us or even look our way the whole day yesterday,” her face grimaced in worry.

“and four you skipped dueling practice yesterday,” Leo added.

“What’s going on?” the warmth of her voice proved just how concerned she is.

“I just—” I tried to rephrase what happened two nights ago in my mind so I wasn’t telling the entire truth but I also wasn’t lying, “I snuck into the forbidden forest Thursday night and I got caught and there’s a chance I might get expelled,” I sighed.

Their eyes widened.

“What were you doing there?” he asked.

“I had no business going there I was just curious,” I hated lying to them. I knew I’ll tell them the truth one day but today is not it.

“Says who you’re getting expelled?” she asked.

“Snape…” I pushed the food around in my plate, “but he said he’ll talk to Dumbledore first before the final decision is made so I’m just waiting for the bad news now…”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Leo reassured, “Snape never expelled any student from his house before and trust me some slytherins have done things way worse than just sneaking out.”

“Word! If he wanted to expel you he woulda done that already.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I said still playing with my food.

“Finish your plate you have dueling to practice today,” he exclaimed, “right now.” 

“Okay dad” 

“You’re not cute enough to be biologically related to me,” he joked, making Violet and I almost choke in laughter. 

“Shut up!” I chuckled and rose from my seat with my forearm parallel to my shoulders, flexed and ready to be launched in his direction before I realized the table was too wide for it to reach him. Clearly, my demeanor wasn’t intimidating enough because all he did was laugh.

 

***

 

The castle grounds were just as cold in the morning as they were at night, even though the sun wasn’t shying away behind curtains of clouds. It hovered in the middle of a bright blue canvas, waking all the things its rays touched from their monochromatic sleep. Everything except me. 

“So today I will teach you a really important aggressive spell: expelliarmus,” Leo said. The way he pronounced that word made his Italian accent stand out even more.

“Let’s do it,” I tried my best to sound enthusiastic and hide the dread that consumed me from the inside out.

“As you can probably tell by its name, this spell removes anything your opponent is holding. It could be their wand or a healing potion or anything else.”

“Elena…” a strange voice call my name. 

“You can use it to disarm your opponent,” Leo's voice faded in and out as my eyes slowly scanned the green scenery without him noticing.  _It’s literally only me and Leo here. Okay, don’t freak out. I’ve read somewhere on the internet before that lack of sleep may cause someone to hallucinate and hear voices._

“Did you hear that?” I cut him off.

“Hear what?”

“Someone just called my name,” my voice was reluctantly low and quiet. _How crazy did that sentence just make me seem?_

“No… no one called your name,” he claimed.

“Elena Blackwell…” _it’s the same voice again!_

“Did you really not hear that?” I almost yelled at the poor guy in frustration.

It was almost like the sun had come down to greet me. I was blinded by a bright white light. My feet were not touching the ground anymore. The cool light breeze wasn’t brushing against my face. I couldn’t feel my skin. All I could feel were my muscles stiffening. I could see walking suits of armors jumping from their indented dens along the castle walls and onto the ground. A staircase shrouded in mist. Ice ate up Hogwarts, encasing it like the ice were a snake and the castle was a fine catch. 

“The ice is here, the vault will open,” that voice said.

“AHH!” I screamed and gasped as I felt my feet carry the weight of my body off the ground again. 

“Elena! Are you okay?” Leo seemed more confused than concerned.

My thumb and index finger nails dug into my left palm. It stung. _This is real life._

“Look I saw something, in my head I—“ I tried to recall what I had just seen, “something about ice and mist,” my forearms rested on top of my head as I pressed my lips together to try and keep my lower lip from quivering. _This is all too much for one week…_

“Ice?”

“and I heard that voice that called my name earlier —the one you didn’t hear. It said something about some vault opening…”

“The cursed vaults,” Leo said under his breath. He froze. His eyes locked with mine but I could tell he wasn’t looking at me; he dazed off. 

“What?” my voice snapped him out of his daze. 

“What what? Look, I’m not calling you crazy but I think Merula might have slipped some hallucinative potion into your water bottle,” he chuckled in an attempted to play it off but I could tell something was up.

“What did you say?” 

“Hm?” his eyebrows rose in faked confusion.

“Before the Merula bit, you said something, under your breath something about cursed vaults.”

“I didn’t say anything under my breath. We —uh, can always practice another time if you want. Do you want to go back to our common room? You look like you could use some rest.”

“All I want and _could use_ right now is to know what _you_ _know_ about what I just saw,” I persisted.

“I think you just had a vision. I don’t know anything more than that,” he pursed his lips, “I wish I could help you but I really have nothing.”

_I want to believe him but I just can’t. He knows something… I can feel it._

"Do you want to practice or go inside?"

“Whatever. Your call.”

"Yeah, I say we go."

 

***

 

I followed my new rule and studied in the library. It was quiet in a cozy way. The kind of quiet that didn’t feel awkward. The kind of quiet that didn’t make me feel a void inside me. No voices. Nothing. The only sounds I could hear were of the tip of my quill gliding roughly on the brown-stained parchment that now contained half of my herbology essay that I’m sure I won’t be around long enough to turn in. 

“Elena!”

My chest tightened. _Is that_ _Felix or is it my head again?_ I looked over my shoulder and there he was. My muscles relaxed. _So it’s a real person this time… good._

“Professor Dumbledore has requested to see you later this evening,” he whispered.

_crap._

“Okay…” 

“I looked everywhere for you. Good luck, you’re going to need it,” his left palm gently tapped my right arm

“SHH!” Madam Pince spat at us, her shush came out louder than our whispers. How ironic.

“Thanks,” I faked a smile and replied politely. _Okay, so now I only have a few hours before I’m sent back home. I should be breaking all school rules not doing homework. Why am I like this?_

 

_***_

 

Sitting in my own little bubble away from the idle chatter around me _,_ I forced food down my throat just so I don’t pass out. I waited for the headmaster to finish his meal so I could follow him into his office.

“What’s taking you so long? The food isn’t that bad!” Violet chuckled and asked as she got up from her seat.

“I’m just waiting for the headmaster. He asked to see me this evening,” I replied, my eyes not looking up form the table.

“Oh my god,” she almost whispered and sat back down in her seat across from me, “listen you’ll be just fine. Even if anything happens you can always come back next year… I mean, just because you’re getting expelled doesn't mean—”

“It’s fine,” my eyes met hers and my suddenly-raised voice cut hers off, “it’s fine,” my voice lowered and I looked away, “really, whatever happens,” I lied. _It wasn’t fine. This place, this world, it feels like home._ Underneath the table, my right foot anxiously powered my knee up and down like my leg were a jackhammer. My eyes stung and got damp. I blinked and looked up at the starry ceiling bedazzled by a few dozen candles hovering still over our heads. Then to the fireplace behind the Hufflepuff table on the other end of the hall. Then to the teacher's table. Avoiding eye contact at all costs. Professor Dumbledore got up after all the other teachers did.

“There he comes,” she said before her head turned to face me, “I’ll leave you to it but you have to tell me what happens okay?” she said quietly, leaning in and searching my face for reassurance.

“I will.” My stomach knotted. My pulse quickened. My limbs went cold and numb. I got up and followed the headmaster out into the hallway.

“Good evening, headmaster. You asked to see me,” I said, putting his slow and steady walk to a stop as he turned to face me.

“Elena, good evening,” he smiled and looked down at me through his half moon glasses, “I did. Please, follow me.”

 

_***_

 

We stood before the stone griffin gargoyle that guarded the entrance to his office. 

“Lemondrops”

The staircase spiraled out of hiding and he extended his left arm, pointing to the steps as an invitation for me to take one. 

“Thank you for meeting with me, Blackwell,” he said as he followed me inside. 

“Of course, Professor.”

His bright red phoenix caught my eye. It stood still, looking at me, studying me.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” he noticed how distracted I was by this fascinating creature.

“He is,” the big smile that suddenly grew on my face made its little head tilt to the right like a confused puppy. _He’s so cute!_

“Fawkes, a phoenix. When it is time, he will catch fire and be reborn from the ashes almost instantly,” he stated as he walked around his desk and claimed his seat. 

“That’s… incredible,” I was at a loss for words. 

“It is,” he broke off eye contact, “but I have not summoned you here today to tell you about my bird.”

_ Uh oh. Here comes the blow. _

“Professor Snape informed me about what happened a few nights ago in the forbidden forest.”

His demeanor was not menacing yet his words grew so much anxiety in me.

“You have made a mistake, Elena,” he said.

My stomach turned and my limbs got colder. 

“but you have also demonstrated bravery, compassion and selflessness. My dear… there are a few things you should know about yourself,” he continued, “you possess a rare ability most pure-blood witches and wizards can’t do without this device,” his left arm disappeared below his desk to fetch something, “…a time turner.” A golden chain with an hourglass embedded in a circular pendant attached to it dangled form his hand, swinging back and forth slightly.

“There’s not another like you in our times,” his arm vanished again to put the time turner back in its place, “only one person with your ability is born every one hundred or so years. Many like you have come before but you are special as you are the first muggle-born who can mend time.”

“So I’m not crazy?” 

“No, dear. However, you need to control the urge to turn time and use it only for good,” he warned.

“What happens if I don’t?”

“Well if you time travel for malicious reasons, even if they were only as trivial as cheating a test, the amount of time you go back will be deducted from your lifetime. I assure you the same will not happen if you use your abilities for the good and benefit of yourself and others. Remember, Elena, it is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices.”

“Understood,” I nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know if you’re aware but you can travel in both directions: backward and forward.”

“I’m not, sir. I don’t know _how_ to travel in either direction. It was something that just happened that night by accident. I didn’t mean for it to happen and I don’t know how to trigger it,” I said truthfully. 

“You simply will it. Mean for time to turn and it will. The more tough situations you find yourself in, the more you’ll use your gift and the more natural it will become. Also, seeing as you put your life in danger to save a professor from harm, I am rewarding you fifty house points.”

“But, sir! He was in harm because of me,” I objected.

“No, Elena, you are mistaken. If you didn’t step in, your head of house would have been in the hospital wing right now,” he assured.

An intense beam of joy grew in me. _I can’t believe this._

“Regardless, the forbidden forest is not safe, even for you, to roam around on your own. That is all I have to say to you today. You may go now, but I feel as though you want to ask me about something…”

“Professor I—,” my mouth froze in hesitation, “will you tell me about the cursed vaults?”

He looked down at his hands and shook his head, “I’m afraid I don’t know much more than you, Elena. I’ve been seeking an expert on this subject but have found none. This castle holds many mysteries; I generally recommend exploring those that aren’t life-threatening.”

“But sir, I don’t know anything about the cursed vaults. I just heard overheard a slytherin boy gossip about this subject and it seems serious that’s why I asked.”

“Like I said, this castlehas been around for hundreds of years and it houses many secrets… one of its mysteries are the hidden chambers scattered about the castle. No one, not even I know how many there are or their exact whereabouts.”

_I knew I wasn’t crazy._

“The last student that went looking for them is now missing,” he paused. “Harry Potter,” the boy’s name brought so much pain to his eyes. “We can never know everything, but I believe you’ll learn more in the coming years if you choose to continue your studies at Hogwarts.”

“Wha- I’m not getting expelled or suspended?” 

“Very far from it, Elena,” his cheeks shot up in a smile, creasing the corners of his eyes. Relief rinsed my insides of all anxiety like a cool minty mouthwash. 

“Thank you so much sir, I never would’ve imagined I’d get away with something like this,” I smiled and shook my head in disbelief.

“You have to be mindful of the decisions you make during your stay. Enjoy your first weekend here.”

“I will, thanks again,” my cheeks hurt from smiling so much and I fought to bring the corners of my lips down but I couldn’t, I was too happy. _I have to tell Violet and Leo._

 

***

 

I strode into the slytherin common room, hoping Violet and Leo would be there. I spotted them sitting behind the circular wooden table doing homework. 

“You guys,” my voice snapped their heads up to face me and my out-of-place cheerfulness etched confusion on their faces, “there’s something I need to tell you,” I pulled out a chair and sat facing the two. 

“First of all, I’m not getting expelled and second, I wasn’t in the forbidden forest just because I was…” my left and right index and middle fingers rose in the air and curled representing quotation marks, “curious about it.” I paused and took a deep breath,“this is going to sound crazy but bear with me…”

“What?” Violet impatiently demanded an explanation.

“It was because I saw a nightmare where I was in the forbidden forest, so I went there when I woke up. Snape found me in the forest. I somehow turned time to save him and myself from a wolf attack that night and I told him about it but he didn’t believe that I did, so he threatened to expel me,” I paused to let all of this sink in their heads, “sorry for not telling you the whole truth I just didn’t want you to think I was crazy. Snape told Dumbledore about the whole thing and he just confirmed that I'm not crazy, that I really did turn time.” 

“wait wait, you WHAT?!” Leo was in disbelief.

Violet’s head turned to face him, “she turned time, Leo!” Her eyes lit up as they gazed back at me, “only one person like you is born every hundred years! That’s incredible!”

“It's maddening. But how do you know that?”

“I’m a bookworm,” she smiled smugly.

“What else do you know?”

“I just know people like you can go back or fast-forward.”

“Yeah, Dumbledore told me.”

“So you can basically tell me how I die?” Leo said.

“I suppose… God,” my eyebrows furrowed as I shook my head, “I’m not going to.”

“Oh my gosh, gurl,” her right hand flexed in a fist in the air parallel to her shoulders, “this is everything!” her fist jumped up and down to the syllables of that sentence.

“I know right?! Hey, you seem to know a bit, do you know anything about the cursed vaults?” My question erased the happiness from her face. She look at Leo then at me, the words seemed to beg to be freed from her mouth and she looked like she was fighting hard to keep her mouth closed.

“Well… a lot of people believe they’re just a legend. I— I know they’re real. Why are you asking?”

“I had a vision today. During practice. Leo watched me daze off. How do you know they’re real?” 

Her lips pressed against each other and corners of her mouth curved up slightly in unease.It felt like I was pushing her boundaries. “Harry Potter was a sixth-year gryffindor and he spent all his years here looking for them. He found one last year and went missing soon after. He was never found.”

“Aw, come on now Vi,” Leo interrupted, “I know him from quidditch practice. The boy was always up to something. He was notorious for breaking school rules and you know it.”

“Yes, I get that,” her head bobbed up and down with every syllable, “but he didn’t break school rules alone, Hermione and Ron were always by his side. How come out of the three he was the one to go missing? The three did everything together. Except finding that one vault. Harry was alone when he found it.”

“Everyone knows the cursed vaults aren't real,” he refuted.

“wait, so you've heard of these vaults before? How come you didn't tell me earlier today, Leo?”

“Because!” his voice raised in agitation, “they're not real!”

“You sounded so sure when you uttered their name though.”

“I didn't.”

“Oh my gosh Leo, you did! How do you explain the Harry situation then? If you think the cursed vaults are just a legend?”

“Maybe you-know-who kidnapped Harry. You two can’t just jump to conclusions.”

“If he did, I think Voldemort would brag about it,” I argued.

“Don’t say his name!” they stormed at me.

“I’m not scared of his ugly ass,” my statement made Leo laugh and her frown.

“You idiot, his name is cursed!” Violet spat, “say it out loud and deatheaters will apparate to your exact location!”

I looked behind me and skeptically scanned the common room for deatheaters. 

“I don’t see anyone. I’m not saying you’re wrong but I suppose you’re wrong,” I leaned back in my chair and chuckled.

“How do you even know what he looks like? You haven’t been here for a week,” Leo asked

“I’ve read the Daily Prophet. They had a sketch of him up once and claimed he’s been seen, alive and well.”

“Sounds like lies,” he got up and stretched.

“Not really…” Violet said under her breath, her eyes drowning in a daze.

“They just want to sell. Night, y’all,” he said as he hugged his textbooks and parchment before heading to the boys’ dormitories.

“You okay?” my voice snapped Violet’s eyes to mine and they widened like I just caught her stealing or something.

“Yeah, why?” a smile grew on her and faded just as fast. 

“You just seem a bit… off about this whole cursed vaults thing.”

“It’s just… scary to me, you know? One of your classmates is here and then one minute they’re not. Makes me wonder if I’m going to be next. Or Leo. Or you. Or Dobby the house elf.”

“Yeah I get you, the unpredictability of life is overwhelming sometimes.”

“Yup,” her hands nervously gathered her things off the table and into her chest.

“Hey, you’ve got me on your side. Anything goes wrong, I’ll go back in time and undo it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she smiled. _She has dimples? How did I not notice until now?_ “I hope you don’t have to though.”

“Me too."


End file.
